WotC Hasbro selling D&D IP?

[Oofta]

I believe that Larian Studios is privately held, not publicly traded.

Ah, right. Tencent purchased a 30% stake in the company. https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=816347&page=2

 

[jgsugden]

When has Hasbro done this?

Go back through their popular IPs of the last 40 years. They push them over and over to the point where they're overexposed. Then they let it fail and then either sell it or essentially shelve it. If they hold onto it, they wait 10 years and then do a nostalgia run when those kids are young adults. We see the cycle in Transformers, GI Joe, Power Rangers, My Little Pony, etc. In terms of the acquisitions - they bought Peppa Pig and PJ Masks in 2019. They have a history of acquisitions/mergers including Milton Bradley, Playskool, Avalon Hill, and Knickerbocker Toys.

 

[mamba]

Toy companies do this often. They know that it one brand fails, they can just buy the one that replaces it.

D&D is not failing, no one is replacing it, and even if something did, Hasbro could not buy that if they sell D&D because Hasbro is struggling (not D&D)…

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Go back through their popular IPs of the last 40 years. They push them over and over to the point where they're overexposed. Then they let it fail and then either sell it or essentially shelve it. If they hold onto it, they wait 10 years and then do a nostalgia run when those kids are young adults. We see the cycle in Transformers, GI Joe, Power Rangers, My Little Pony, etc. In terms of the acquisitions - they bought Peppa Pig and PJ Masks in 2019. They have a history of acquisitions/mergers including Milton Bradley, Playskool, Avalon Hill, and Knickerbocker Toys.

I am aware of them shelving IP but it has been reported often on these boards that while they shelf IP they do not sell stuff. I was wondering if you had specific examples.

 

[Umbran]

Toy companies do this often. They know that it one brand fails, they can just buy the one that replaces it.

Hasbro has a specific reputation for not selling off IP. Selling off IP that notably isn't failing would be... weird. Not impossible, but weird.

 

[jgsugden]

D&D is not failing, no one is replacing it, and even if something did, Hasbro could not buy that if they sell D&D because Hasbro is struggling (not D&D)…

Hasbro goes up and down - like most companies. The change in the markets is different this time - but it has been different before. Acquiring an IP/product that would have 3X revenue and using their capabilities to give it 10X or 20X revenue is a tradition with Hasbro - and one of the ways that it recovers from downturns.

As for D&D failing: We'll know by the end of 2024. This is the first time they've seen such massive competition at the time of release of a new edition. They have a lot invested based upon the assumption they'll have almost the entire market share. Daggerheart and Tales of the Valiant will both have the potential to a.) become alternative sales, and b.) disrupt play groups that can't decide on a system resulting in more groups ending due to frustrations over the game system 'forced' on people.

D&D might skate through just fine. They may also see a huge underperforming against expectations in the highest revenue per edition years they normally have. We'll see. If Daggerheart, in particular, ends up being a really strong system that people like ... it could be significant.

 

[jgsugden]

Hasbro has a specific reputation for not selling off IP. Selling off IP that notably isn't failing would be... weird. Not impossible, but weird.

They sell things less often because they do get to surge nostalgia - and even some of the sales are about retention of IP (for example, they bought eOne and Lionsgate then sold eOne but kept some of the IP). However, whether they shelve and wait to rebuild it on nostalgia or sell it, the effect is the same - pump it up to maximize short term profits, then take it off their radar will they focus on the next hot thing.

I do not think they'd buy another RPG to replace D&D. They would, however, shift focus from RPGs into something else.

 

[CommodoreKong]

This sounds like a repackaging of Steven Glicker's speculations (pulled straight from his ass) on Roll for Combat YouTube recently. There is no real sourcing.

They have a source listed in the article but it’s a Chinese site and I doubt anyone here has any idea how credible that site is.

Is it possible that some Chinese news site watched Steven Glicker's Youtube video that has 31k views and either misunderstood it or just decided to lie and write an article stating negoitations were happening? Sure, though I think it's just as likely, if not more likely they have never seen the video and this has nothing to do with him.

I swear some of you all let Steven Glicker live rent free in your heads since he can be critical of Wizards of the Coast (a company that very much deserves to have a critical eye taken to them).

 

[payn]

Hasbro goes up and down - like most companies. The change in the markets is different this time - but it has been different before. Acquiring an IP/product that would have 3X revenue and using their capabilities to give it 10X or 20X revenue is a tradition with Hasbro - and one of the ways that it recovers from downturns.

As for D&D failing: We'll know by the end of 2024. This is the first time they've seen such massive competition at the time of release of a new edition. They have a lot invested based upon the assumption they'll have almost the entire market share. Daggerheart and Tales of the Valiant will both have the potential to a.) become alternative sales, and b.) disrupt play groups that can't decide on a system resulting in more groups ending due to frustrations over the game system 'forced' on people.

D&D might skate through just fine. They may also see a huge underperforming against expectations in the highest revenue per edition years they normally have. We'll see. If Daggerheart, in particular, ends up being a really strong system that people like ... it could be significant.

What and what now?

 

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